Feeding Copperband butterflyfish

Ok I would really like to keep a copperband butterflyfish i know they are hard to keep. But my tank is pretty big and my water is always perfect. I have had one in the past he ate the first day I got him and would eat out of my hand. 2 months later he stoped eating and died. I had been feeding him mysis. The only reason why I could think he died was because a lack of nutrition. I heard they requier a sponge and clam diet. Anyways i really wanna try one again but i want to make sure he is getting the right nutrition. Can someone help me out on what i should be feeding him

 

No, they don't need a sponge and clam diet. Good thing too because mine was always in with my large squamosa and with my crocea clam. Also, I never saw it eat any of my sponge.
I fed it frozen brine and mysis shrimp.
I put mine in quarantine for six weeks, feeding it well and watching for uneaten food to determine just how much it was actually eating. (bare bottom quarantine)
Then, when I placed it in the tank, I did some re-arranging of the live rock and corals, just enough so that existing tangs and others had to redefine their territories as the copperband was being placed into the tank. I put the CB in at night after lights out.
Copperbands, IMO, when placed into a tank right off, tend to be too timid to eat sufficiently to survive long term, especially if they are challenged by tank mates.
By getting it on the food you will be providing it, before it goes to the main tank, and getting it over the stress of collecting and shipping to distributor to store to you, it is a simpler matter to then place it in the tank once it is less stressed, well fed, and a bit more confident.
They're much more beautiful when they get large, which they do within about 4 years.

 

I want to make a note that they do go after clam mantles.

 

Yeah, they don't need sponges or clams to survive, but they are a tough critter to first get to eat in captivity, and they also ship very poorly.

Usually if they eat for a few weeks in your tank, they will be fine. That's too bad that yours was eating, then stopped.

My first attempt at a CBB a few months ago had it eating at the store, then when I put it in my tank, it would only eat aiptasia, but not barely any prepared food.

I will try another CBB at some point in the near future. Unfortunately they are very hit or miss.

 

Mine, even when hungry never went after any of my clams. I have not heard of anyone in my club that has any issue with CBB's wanting to eat tridacna clams.

Now, I do know of a couple CBB's that had a fondness for acans and other LPS.